Jackson still looks like he could shine on stage.
Most know Dexter Jackson for his Mr. Olympia victory in 2008. Nevertheless, the bodybuilder is widely renowned as considered one of the best bodybuilders within the history of the game. For over 20 years, from 1999 to his retirement after the 2020 Mr. Olympia, Jackson was a prolific competitor. Judging by some recent training clips, the 53-year-old has still got his muscle-building mojo.
On Mar. 11, 2023, Jackson posted an Instagram video of himself working through an assortment of arm workouts, including quite a lot of biceps curls and triceps pushdowns. Just two days later, Jackson shared one other clip where he performs various back movements, including seated cable rows and dumbbell rows. It’s unclear if each videos were filmed the identical day, but Jackson has an analogous outfit adorned in each recording. Either way, they showcase a ripped Jackson seemingly powering through his training as he once did in his heyday.
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It’d be inconceivable to parse any serious competitive intentions from two tidbits of Jackson getting after it within the gym, but his videos might be related to a pending comeback. With the 2023 Masters Olympia returning this late summer in Romania, the now-older Jackson would qualify for the hallowed contest. Notably, Jackson won the 2012 Masters Olympia — the last time the competition was held before its upcoming return.
A potentially lucrative prize would await Jackson were he to make a competitive comeback on the 2023 Masters Olympia. In late February 2023, the competition’s organizing body revealed that the general prize purse can be $229,000. Jackson would also potentially not be the one older established athlete, past or current, to feature within the competition. Because of a younger age, seven-time Olympia winner Phil Heath must wait for a minimum of two iterations, but former 212 Olympia champion (2019) Kamal Elgargni has stated his interest in potentially aiming for the Masters crown at 51 years old.
No matter his coming steps, Jackson’s overall resume has stood the test of time.
Within the late-2000s, Dexter Jackson shocked the bodybuilding world. After the top of Ronnie Coleman’s mostly unprecedented Mr. Olympia dynasty run, Jay Cutler looked poised to follow in his footsteps. As Cutler vied for a 3rd consecutive title in 2008, the then-three-time Arnold Classic (AC) champion (2005-2006, 2008) Jackson would topple the defending Olympia king. Jackson rising to the highest of bodybuilding right as a recent “Hulk” emerged is likely to be considered one of the more legendary Olympia victories within the competition’s history.
To at the present time, “The Blade” is considered one of only 4 bodybuilders who’ve ever won a minimum of one AC and the Olympia. The others are Coleman, Cutler, and Brandon Curry. Jackson can also be the one bodybuilder to win the AC, Mr. Olympia, and Masters Olympia titles. Here’s an summary of the principal achievements from Jackson’s competitive profession:
Dexter Jackson | Profession Highlights
- Arnold Classic champion: (2005-2006, 2008, 2013, 2015) — The record for essentially the most AC wins
- Mr. Olympia champion: (2008)
- Masters Olympia champion: (2012)
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Even when Jackson doesn’t return to a stage, it’s probably not surprising to see him proceed to crush it with weights in hand. Icons like Jackson may retire from formal competition, but that doesn’t mean the hearth to enhance ever goes away.
Featured image: @mrolympia08 on Instagram